April 9, 2014 — A proposed U.S. Senate bill to reauthorize a key federal fisheries law will include language to revise regulations that penalize New York fluke fishing interests, Sen. Charles Schumer said Wednesday.
Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he has negotiated to have major elements of his Fluke Fairness Act incorporated into a bill to reauthorize a law that governs fishery management.
"This is the biggest advance we've made for the fluke fishermen yet," Schumer said. "We are now on a track to really permanently fix our fluke problem."
Provisions from Schumer's bill that will be added to Senate reauthorization of the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation Act include:
A mandate for a new plan for management of the fluke fishery based on "best available science," instead of outdated or flawed fisheries data.
Consideration of the migratory movement of fluke in allocating commercial and recreational catch quotas.
A regional or coastwide management system for fluke, to replace a system Schumer said has long shortchanged New York fishing interests.
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